New students explored strategies for respectful persuasion, active listening, and navigating disagreement. 

In the fall of 2026 3,536 students participated in the Leveling Up Dialogue Skills assignment, putting their communication and perspective-taking skills into practice through real-world conversations with people who held different viewpoints. This was a 30% increase from the previous year.  The assignment was created by Professor Colin Marshall, UW Professor of Philosophy and author of the new book Just Hear Me Out: How to Change Minds Without Lies, Bullshit, or Moral Compromise.

Building on the Perspectives Modules, students explored strategies for respectful persuasion, active listening, and navigating disagreement through expert insights, articles, and TED Talks. Students then engaged in 30-minute conversations with someone who disagreed with them on a meaningful issue. Their challenge was to understand the other person's perspective, share their own beliefs thoughtfully, and practice persuasion without compromising respect.

At the end of each conversation, participants received feedback from their conversation partners, who rated them on two dimensions: respect—how respectfully they engaged in the conversation—and persuasion—how much they influenced the other person's perspective.

Reflection and Learning

Following the conversation, students completed a written reflection examining their experience. They considered the emotions that arose during the dialogue, what felt easy or challenging, what they believed the conversation achieved, and how they might approach similar disagreements in the future. Students also reflected on their respect and persuasion scores, exploring why they received those ratings and what the feedback revealed about their communication skills.

This reflection encouraged students to move beyond the outcome of a single conversation and identify opportunities for personal growth, greater empathy, and more effective dialogue.

The goal wasn't simply to change minds. It was to build the skills to disagree respectfully, listen with curiosity, reflect on personal experiences, and find opportunities for understanding across differences.